


Turtle in a Shell

by MediumSizedEvil



Series: Incredible Thoughts [8]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mental Illness, rodents of unusual size
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 16:31:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20245891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MediumSizedEvil/pseuds/MediumSizedEvil
Summary: What if a garbage man was actually smart?When a body is found in an underground tunnel Jake must enter the dark world of New York's subcity and try to gather information from its distrustful inhabitants.





	Turtle in a Shell

> Please give the President my honest regards  
For disregarding me
> 
> Tracy Chapman – [Subcity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WZiQXPVWho)

“So an anonymous tip?” Jake asks as he climbs down the ladder, followed by Charles.

“Yes, sir,” Gary replies. “And the body was exactly where he said it would be.”

Jake jumps down the last part to the ground and grabs his flashlight. The crime scene is already marked off, officers surrounding the decomposing body of Mark Belling, a small time drug dealer. He probably pissed off the wrong guy, but who? He presses a handkerchief to his nose before kneeling down to examine the body. The rats have been at him. Then he looks up. There is another grate over his head. “Fell down that hole?”

“Most likely.”

“Dead or alive?”

“I don't know. I would ask the coroner, sir.”

Jake nods. “Any witnesses?”

“No, sir. But we're canvassing the area around the grate at the moment.”

“Okay. And what about down here?”

“Eh...?”

“People live down here, don't they?”

“Yeah, but...they won't talk. They hide. You won't be able to find anyone here if they don't want to.”

From the corner of his eye Jake sees a pair of eyes staring around a dark corner. “Wait here, okay?” he tells Charles. As soon as he stands up and walks in their direction the eyes disappear, but he keeps walking, turning the corner. Large rats scurry off into the darkness as he lights the way ahead.

“Leonardo!” he calls. “Where are you?” His voice echoes off the walls. There is no reply. “Leo! I just want to talk to you.” He keeps walking further down the tunnel and almost stumbles over a piece of rotten wood. “Come on, Leo!”

“My name is not Leo,” he suddenly hears a voice behind him.

He quickly turns around. Before him stands a thin, wiry man with a long beard. “Oh sorry,” Jake says, “I thought you were Leonardo. Raphael then? Donatello? Or Michelangelo?”

“Are you seriously asking me if I'm a dead Italian painter?”

“No! A ninja turtle!”

“A ninja...turtle?”

“Yes, they live in the sewers and fight crime.”

“Are you mental?” The man shakes his head and twists his bony finger around the point of his beard. “Oh wait, that's some kid's show, right? Also this is not a sewer but an abandoned subway tunnel, and therefore I am not a ninja turtle. Nor a Renaissance artist for that matter.”

“You talk very fancy for a...well a...”

“Homeless guy?” He nods. “Well, I was not always a homeless man. Once upon a time I was a...” He swipes a word in the air. “Garbage man.”

“Ah okay.”

“The higher you climb, the harder you fall.”

“I'll keep that in mind. So uhm, right now I'm just a lowly Detective investigating a crime. Do you know anything about that man lying over there? Did you see or hear anything?”

The man squints. “No, I didn't see anything.”

“Do you know how long he's been there?”

“No, I don't know anything. Now go away. Leave me alone.” He turns around and starts walking away into the shadows.

“No, wait!” Jake calls after him.

“Leave me alone.”

“Leonardo! Leonardo! Leo! It's me! Leo!”

“I don't like this,” Amy says, clutching his arm.

“He'll come,” Jake says. “Leo!”

“I told you my name wasn't Leo.”

Jake spins around. “Well you never told me your real name so I'm just going to call you Leo. Oh, this is my wife, she insisted on coming along. Won't even let me explore dark underground tunnels all by myself, pffff.”

“Hi, nice to meet you,” Amy says awkwardly.

“Go away.”

“Eh what?”

“You have pity in your eyes. Go away and don't come back.”

“Look, she can't help it, okay?” Jake says. “She looks at me that way as well.”

Amy takes a deep breath. “YOU ARE A VERY RUDE DICK!” she yells, waving her finger at him. “Is that better?”

“Much better. Does she talk to you that way as well?”

“Only if I ask nicely.”

“So what do you want? I told you I saw nothing.”

“Were you the one who called it in?”

“Yeah, okay, he was starting to smell.”

“So how long was he down here for?”

“I dunno, maybe a week?”

“Yeah, that about fits with the coroner's report,” Jake says.

“Look, I asked around, nobody saw or heard anything alright? Now go away.”

“Okay, thanks. And if you hear anything new, or remember something, give us a call, alright?”

He nods. “Okay.”

“Bye then. We'll be on our way now.”

“Bye. Oh and thanks,” he calls after them.

Jake turns around. “For what?”

“For not trying to help me. I really appreciate it.”


End file.
